As part of Luke Skywalker's training, Yoda challenges him to lift an X-wing fighter from the swamp by 'using the Force'. Faced with what he perceives as an impossible task, Luke is more than skeptical, but Yoda encourages him saying, '... try not. Do. Or do not. There is no try.'
Life provides us with many opportunities to try things, without committing ourselves wholeheartedly: we try on clothes, we try a new shampoo, we test drive a car - in all these cases, if we are not satisfied with the results, we don't have to commit to them; we can just leave them behind and move on to the next opportunity.
But some things in life are not ours just for the trying. In some cases, we truly must be committed in order to get the full benefit of the experience. I remember once speaking with a pastoral supervisor about my own tentativeness to leave the comfort of the rectory and to meet people who were complete strangers to me. He agreed that for some people, this can be a stressful experience, but the reality is that if we face our fears, sometimes the source of fear can also end up being the source of greatest blessings and riches.
Jesus himself found many interested bystanders who welcomed the opportunity to receive the food he offered when he fed the five thousand, but shortly afterward when he called them to follow him even unto death, many bystanders fled the scene. He then turned to the disciples and asked them too if they were about to leave him - or were they committed to 'doing' rather than 'trying' this life of service to which he had called them.
On the day of our baptism, we too were invited to 'do' and not to merely stay on the periphery, 'trying out' our faith. The question is, are you willing to do faith, or do you want to stay on the surface and continue trying it until you find the best fit?
Life provides us with many opportunities to try things, without committing ourselves wholeheartedly: we try on clothes, we try a new shampoo, we test drive a car - in all these cases, if we are not satisfied with the results, we don't have to commit to them; we can just leave them behind and move on to the next opportunity.
But some things in life are not ours just for the trying. In some cases, we truly must be committed in order to get the full benefit of the experience. I remember once speaking with a pastoral supervisor about my own tentativeness to leave the comfort of the rectory and to meet people who were complete strangers to me. He agreed that for some people, this can be a stressful experience, but the reality is that if we face our fears, sometimes the source of fear can also end up being the source of greatest blessings and riches.
Jesus himself found many interested bystanders who welcomed the opportunity to receive the food he offered when he fed the five thousand, but shortly afterward when he called them to follow him even unto death, many bystanders fled the scene. He then turned to the disciples and asked them too if they were about to leave him - or were they committed to 'doing' rather than 'trying' this life of service to which he had called them.
On the day of our baptism, we too were invited to 'do' and not to merely stay on the periphery, 'trying out' our faith. The question is, are you willing to do faith, or do you want to stay on the surface and continue trying it until you find the best fit?
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